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[[circled]] 685 [[/circled]]
[[stamped]] JUL 23 1924 [[/stamped]]

[[Stationary Letterhead]] J. C. Hauptfleisch
Plant Developer. [[/letterhead]]

F O R  P R I Z E  C O N T E S T.

[[Stationary letterhead]] Stellenbosch,  24 th June 1924
Cape Province.  South Africa. [[/letterhead]]

Messrs W. Atlee Burpee Co.,
Philadelphia. U.S.A.

Dear Sirs,
     Paradoxal as it may seem, your seeds having shattered my faith in human nature, have taught me CONFIDENCE. If my best friend was to offer me seeds with the assurance that they were the best procurable I would not plant them with the same confidence as I would a packet of seeds bearing your trade mark for that is my guarantee that the goodwill of the largest seed house in the world is locked up in every tiny seed in that packet. 
     My lesson cannot be gained by microscopic research for nature does not differentiate in the appearance of seed, but it is acquired only by actually returing the seed to mother earth-------- and then "behold it was very good. "
     I have sometimes had bad results from your seed but the object lesson in CONFIDENCE IN BURPEE'S SEEDS stands supreme and prompts me yo look elsewhere for the failure, because for me it is enough to KNOW that every seed in that packet " was very good, "
Yours faithfully, 
[[signature]] J.C. Hauptfleisch [[/signature]]
P.S. Please do not remit the prize money, but kindly place the amount to my credit because money cannot buy better seeds ANYWHERE !

[[initials]] J.C.H. [[/initials]]

Transcription Notes:
@siobhanleachman:- I've received a reply from TC via twitter @transcribesi about this issue. They say "YES put No./Date at top or bottom (sep from txt) - AAG wants this text searchable BUT we also want coherence of letter" From the instructions: Type what you see Our main goal is to create text that mirrors this document. @siobhanleachman:- I respectfully disagree. The instructions state to transcribe as written. The letter is written by a different person than the circled number and date stamp. It seems to make sense to me to seperate the two. I've asked for guidance from the TC on this. If they disagree I am happy to re edit. Transcribe as written, that means putting the circles and stamps where they go. Don't rearrange the page. They want a mirror image. Read the instructions. @siobhanleachman:- As the circled number and date stamp are later additions I've edited and put them at the top of the page so the letter reads as writer intended.